Jedi Rebellion
by Classic Cowboy
Summary: Episode 3 AU After being brought back to the light by Obiwan Kenobi on Mustafar, Anakin and the surviving Jedi join with Mon Mothma and Padme's Rebel Alliance to strike back against Palpatine's Empire
1. Chapter 1

**STAR WARS: JEDI REBELLION **

The sound of moving lava and lightsabers clashing filled the molten canyon of Mustafar. Two Jedi stood on a metallic platform floating toward a large rise.

"I've failed you, Anakin," Obiwan Kenobi said sadly as he deflected Anakin … Darth Vader's blow and answered with one of his own. "I've failed you …"

"I should have known the Jedi would try to take over!" Anakin growled insanely as he swung his saber at his former master.

"Anakin! Chancellor Palpatine's evil!" Obiwan countered as he deflected the blow.

"From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!" Anakin replied, slashing at his master.

"Then you are lost!" Obiwan shot as he jumped away, landing on the shore of the lava river.

"This is the end for you, my Master," Anakin said, glaring up at Obiwan. "I wish it were otherwise."

"Anakin, I have the high ground," Obiwan tried to reason with his former student. "Don't try it!"

Anakin just screamed in rage and leapt toward the older Jedi, and his body, arm, and legs fell separately to the ground, his disarmed and legged torso dropped down toward the moving lava. "YOU WERE THE CHOSEN ONE!" Obiwan screamed at his fallen opponent in angst. "You were meant to destroy the Sith, not join them! You were meant to balance the force, not leave it in darkness!"

"I HATE YOU!" Anakin screamed back in pure rage.

Obiwan watched Anakin in despair as he remembered Master Yoda's words. Anakin was completely corrupted with the Dark Side, and had to be destroyed …

_You still have so much to learn, my very foolhardy Padawan … _

"Qui-Gon?" Obiwan gasped, eyes widening.

_Did you learn nothing from me, Obiwan? _Qui-Gon's voice asked with a hint of amusement. _The Dark Side, the Light Side, it's all part of the Force; the Dark can be used for good, and the Light can be used for evil. No one can be filled with one side. No one is without saving, only by changing their point of view. If one believes one is good and another is evil, the one that is believed to be evil must only change the person's point of view. _

"I …"

_Letting the boy burn to death isn't really going to help his opinion of you and the 'evil' Jedi, you realize? What did I always teach you? Trust your feelings. Your mind tells you to follow Master Yoda's orders without question, and as wise as he is, he IS wrong here, Obi-Wan. This is your chance. Old Traditions and take two children's father from them, dooming them all to a life of hardships, or trust the Will of the Force. _

Anakin felt a burning sensation on his legs and knew his robes had caught fire, but he was in no way prepared for Obiwan to grab his prosthetic arm, jerking him away from the fire and using the Force to put out the flames on the robes.

"What?" Anakin asked in shock as Obiwan pulled him into a tight hug.

"You're my brother, Anakin. I love you, and I will not allow you to die like this. Not like this." Obiwan said, clinging to his fallen friend.

"I hate you!" Anakin screamed into Obiwan's chest.

"I don't care," Obiwan said, tightening his hug.

"You'll be … expelled from the order … for helping me …" Anakin forced out through his pain and growing emotions.

"I'd care less, my friend," Obiwan stated. "We were all wrong here, Anakin, not just you. Master Yoda, Master Windu, everyone. Palpatine manipulated us all for his own selfish reasons."

"Why should I believe you?" Anakin stiffened in Obiwan's arms.

"Because I swore to your mother and Qui-Gon that I would watch over, and make sure you achieved your dream of becoming a Jedi," Obiwan said, pulling away from the injured young man.

"Force … what have I done?" Anakin began to tremble. "Everything Palpatine said … it made so much sense when I heard him … I … oh gods …"

"Palpatine used you, Anakin," Obiwan said, pulling the boy back into a hug, "He used us all …"

"But I killed almost everyone in the temple, Obiwan …" Anakin trembled violently. "I killed them all … like the Sandpeople … they didn't deserve it … the children … younglings …"

"Wait … almost?" Obiwan asked, pulling away from Anakin.

"I gave a group of the infants … they were going to be taken to be trained as Force adept assassins for the Empire …" Anakin trembled, tears streaming down his pale cheeks.

"Let's get you and your wife to safety," Obiwan said, "Then we'll worry of the Younglings …"

Anakin nodded, trembling still. "I'm going to put you in a healing trance to ease your injuries." Obiwan said, laying Anakin flat on his back, and watching as Anakin seemed to go into a deep sleep.

* * *

Anakin groaned as he slowly regained consciousness and found himself laying flat on his back on a metal table. He slowly pull himself to a seated position with both hands … "What the Force …" Anakin breathed, looking down at his two hands, one gold and one pale flesh toned and two full legs attached to his hips. 

"Just need to see if the nerves are set up right, my fellow Jedi," Obiwan said from his seat beside the table. "Welcome back, old friend. I've missed you."

"How long have I been out?" Anakin asked as the droid moved to his side and began opening compartments on the side of his wrist.

"One week, three days," Obiwan said, sitting back, "give or take a few cycles."

"Padme, is she ok?" Anakin asked, his eyes widening in worry.

"She's … well," Obiwan glanced around the room. "Can he walk?" Obiwan asked the droid.

"Stand by, please," the droid said, moving to his leg and stabbing it with a needle, making Anakin yelp and jump. Unaffected, the droid moved to Anakin's other leg, jabbing it and causing the same effect from the young Jedi. "He appears to be fully functional again, Master Kenobi."

"Let's go," Anakin said, hopping to his feet, only to have to hold on to Obiwan to steady himself.

"You should gain balance in a moment, Master Skywalker," the droid said before rolling away.

"Slag a moment, where's Padme?" Anakin said, gripping Obiwan's arm.

"Alright, fine, just … be prepared …" Obiwan said, leading the still limping Jedi from the private room.

Obiwan led his friend up seven doors before turning. "Annie, listen to me ok? What happened on Mustafar really affected her, old friend. She may not be immediately receptive to you." Anakin nodded. "Alright, onward to our deaths… again."

The two Jedi walked into the very elaborately decorated room. Anakin instantly saw Padme resting comfortably on a large bed with a cradle on either side of the bed. Sabé sat on Padme's bedside, rocking the cradle where a child slept, and in the far corner of the room Master Yoda sat in a small chair, using the Force to rock an infant in the air. "A beautiful princess who is? Hmm? Hmm?" the aged master smiled up at the baby.

"Hello, Anakin," Sabé smiled at the younger man before shyly adverting her eyes from Obiwan. "Master Kenobi …"

"Sabé…" Obiwan gave a salute with an imaginary lightsaber.

"Ah, awakened you are, Master Skywalker, stronger than I expected you are, yes?" Yoda said, lowering the baby to rest in his arms as he stood to face the two Jedi. "Quiet we must be, your children's mother sleeping she is."

"Master Yoda … I'm … I cannot tell you how sorry I am …" Anakin lowered his eyes sadly.

"Warned you, we did, Anakin," Yoda said as he levitated the child to the empty cradle. "Adventure, hm, excitement, hm," Yoda said, waddling toward the tall Jedi Knight before hitting him hard in the knee with his walking stick. "Now learn to keep your eyes on what you are doing, and not what you will be doing later, you will?"

"Palpatine promised he'd help me save Padme, Master; he said he knew a way to use the Force to keep her from dying …" Anakin bowed his head, yelping when the walking stick struck again.

"And approach the Council, or your friend and mentor, Master Obiwan, you chose not to?" Yoda's eyes widened at the young Jedi. "Wiser a Jedi I had given you credit to be."

"I didn't think you trusted me enough … OUCH!" Anakin's knee buckled from another, even harder blow from the Jedi Master.

"Trust, young Jedi? Trust a Jedi who has broken our code of celibacy … who lived a lie for years … and threw a child-like tantrum when not named a Master, what reasons did we have?" Yoda questioned, "Earned trust must be, Young Skywalker. Trusting others, the easiest way to be trusted is."

"You … knew?" Anakin blanched at the green skinned Master.

"Beautiful your wedding was, young Skywalker," Yoda nodded before snorting, "The Council witnessed it through the Force as well as saw the creation of these beautiful children in the womb of your wife nine months ago."

"You are correct, trust you much of the Council did not, trust in the Council you did not." Yoda, sighed, shaking his head, "A vote was cast … the night you first broke the code, in marrying the Senator. Some were enraged, but still trusted in the will of the Force, and in the will of the Force, voted we did. Decided we did that outweighed the breaking of the code, your service to the Order has done."

"What if I had wanted to leave the Order?" Anakin asked and was shocked when Yoda chuckled.

"You were born a slave, Anakin; when you freed yourself from Tatooine, a free man you have been. None would have stopped you from leaving had you wished to." Yoda shook his head, "Too many Jedi feel that they are imprisoned in their roles, and that … is why we failed."

Yoda gave a shocked look when Anakin's lightsaber dropped at his feet. "I have no right to this anymore, Master."

"Stop you, I will not, Anakin," Yoda said, glancing at the downcast Obiwan, then to the former Sith Lord. "But I ask this, not as a Council Member, or as a Jedi Master, but as a friend asking a friend …" Yoda lifted the saber toward Anakin. "The Jedi have fallen … nearing extinction they are … Great is your power, young Skywalker, great is your will. Stop you, I will not, from walking away … but … need you, the Jedi do … more than ever before."

Anakin stared at the lightsaber he himself constructed when he was Obiwan's Padawan and barely even noticed Obiwan's hand clasping his shoulder. "We all make mistakes, Anakin," Obiwan said, "The important thing is we learn from them and go on."

Anakin reached out with a slightly trembling hand and took the lightsaber from the Master. "Fearful, I was for a moment," Yoda smiled. "The last of the Jedi Council we three are." Yoda then glanced at the door. "After your most important introduction, the fourth spot will be offered."

"Fourth spot?" Obiwan cocked his head to the side.

"Jedi Aayla Secura, badly injured she was found, but … alive she is." Yoda said, "But first, introduce you allow me to Luke and Leia, offspring of the great Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padme Skywalker."

"Twins?" Anakin asked, glancing from crib to crib, "We … we've got twins …" Luke smiled down at the babies, then reached down to touch Leia's cheek, and was so distracted by the joy of fatherhood, he didn't sense the movement or approaching danger until after the small fist slammed into his cheek, sending him down on one knee.

"Don't touch my babies, you monster," Padme spat from her kneeling position on the bed.

"PADME!" Obiwan gasped at the woman.

"You said it yourself, Obiwan; I saw it too," Padme gave a teary glare at her husband. "The Anakin I loved, the Anakin I married wouldn't have killed all those people, wouldn't have even THOUGHT about becoming the Sith." She spat, "It's your fault Palpatine's in charge; if you hadn't given in to the Dark Side, Anakin, Palpatine wouldn't be in power!"

"I … I made a mistake, Padme … I'm sorry …" Anakin's trembling voice spoke as he avoided the murderous glare of his wife.

"You're sorry, Annie? You're sorry." Padme mimicked, "You're sorry doesn't bring back the Jedi you MURDERED; you're sorry doesn't restore the Senate to power; you're sorry doesn't help at all!"

"I want to make it right," Anakin shook his head. "I want to fix things."

"This is life, Anakin," Padme crawled back to bed, turning her back to the Jedi. "This isn't a pod racer that you can patch back together. What you've broken, Anakin, cannot be repaired."

"Padme, Anakin is the father of your children!" Obiwan tried to remind her.

"And he will be treated as such; he is the father of my children." Padme said, pulling the sheet tightly over her shoulder, speaking as if Anakin was no longer there. "And that is all he is to me now."

Anakin stared at her dumbly for a moment and glanced at his children before turning on his heel and briskly leaving the room.

"Anakin, wait!" Obiwan called after him as he followed.

Yoda too turned to leave, but stopped to look toward the bed. "Remind you who nominated Palpatine to power, must I?" Yoda asked before leaving the Padme with her children and uncomfortable handmaiden.

* * *

"Master Yoda, are you here?" Aayla Secura asked softly as she entered the Jedi Master's quarters on Bail Organa's ship. "Hello?" Aayla asked as she limped into the low lit room. She still favored her back and legs from where she was shot, but the Bacta treatments had helped a lot. "Master Yoda? Blast … he's not here …" She sighed, hoping for word on if Kit had survived. 

The blue skinned Twi'lekian Jedi Knight had a strong friend, and forced down feelings for the youngest of the Jedi Masters, Kit Fisto, and after the Clone Troopers' betrayal had a great sense of dread on his condition.

She spotted a holoemitter on the aged Jedi Master's desk and curiosity took her when she realized it was from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. What she saw would haunt her the rest of her days.

She saw a group of Younglings, just about at the age of becoming Padawans alone in the Council Chamber hiding. Suddenly, the door opened and in walked Jedi Anakin Skywalker. "Master Skywalker, what's going on? What are we going to do? Master Skywalker?" the children asked gathering around him. Aayla's eyes widened when Anakin brandished his lightsaber.

"No …" Aayla closed her eyes, but she could still hear the sound of Anakin's lightsaber and the children's cries of pain silenced. "Force, no …" she shook her head, her lekku trembling.

* * *

"Anakin?" Obiwan said, following along the silent yet trembling youth. "Anakin, don't keep this bottled up inside." 

"Why, Master?" Anakin asked with a trembling voice. "Why didn't you let me burn to death in that volcano… it would have been a less painful thing than living like this … with her thinking of me like that …"

"She's just upset, Anakin, give her time," Obiwan said comfortingly, "You know better than any of us how stubborn she is … let her cool down … rest assured her way of thinking is that of only one person here."

"MURDERER!"

"OK, maybe two…" Obiwan corrected when the two Jedi looked up to see a badly injured Twi'lek covered in Bacta patches, supporting herself with one arm on the wall and grasping her lightsaber with the other.

"Um, I see you're feeling somewhat better, Aayla," Obiwan said, approaching the injured Jedi Knight.

"Out of the way, Master Kenobi," Aayla growled, glancing from Obiwan to the approaching Master Yoda. "I saw the holodisk in Master Yoda's room. I know what you've done, Vader," Aayla said, turning her attention to Anakin. "You murdered them all. Even the children … who came to you for help … YOUNGLINGS, and you chopped them down like they were nothing more than training droids."

"Aayla, you don't …" Obiwan was silenced when he was lifted into the air and slung into the wall.

Anakin lowered his arm immediately after. "Yes, I did, Aayla," Anakin said, approaching her, "and before that I stepped over my Master's work, the Masters who went with Master Windu … even the one you had feelings for… I stepped over his body… I helped Palpatine killed Master Windu, then a slaughtered the Jedi at the Temple, and at the time, I enjoyed it."

"Lift your saber, Sith," Aayla spat, "LIFT YOUR SABER!" Anakin just stood there before her, their eyes locked in an intense gaze.

Anakin reached out in the Force, and gripped Aayla's blade wrist; he lifted it up where the edge of her lightsaber was just barely away from touching his neck. "Do what you must."

"You want to die …" Aayla breathed in realization, and as badly as she wanted to, she couldn't push her wrist to end the traitor's life.

"No, I'm already dead," Anakin replied, and felt a mix of relief, but mostly disappointment when Aayla powered down her saber and dropped to her knees, tears rolling down her blue cheeks.

"Anakin!" Obiwan growled, pulled his former student by the collar. "That was the stupidest stunt I have ever seen in my life!"

"You want to save the younglings?" Anakin asked in a sad voice, turning a glance toward Yoda, "I can take you to them. It won't pardon my sins, but it'll be a start."

* * *

Deep inside the newly dubbed Imperial Palace, Emperor Palpatine walked alone into a mechanical construction chamber. His deformed features curved into a smile when he saw who was strapped onto the table. "Master Windu … Most interesting to see you still conscious." 

The badly injured Mace Windu turned toward the Sith Lord and spat in his direction a mix of saliva and blood. "I will not be turned to the Dark Side."

"Dear boy … you have already turned some time ago," Palpatine chuckled, "you have been a most enjoyable puppet to control."

"You cannot confuse my mind as you have, Skywalker," Mace said stubbornly. "I am a Jedi Master."

"You are a fool who has played into my hands more times than I can count," Palpatine growled. "I did not do a thing to young Skywalker to turn him from your Order. You Jedi did that on your own. You did everything I wanted you to do … I befriended the boy and you believed him to be a follower of mine even when he would have easily died for you without a second thought."

"That's not true … Skywalker …"

"Was the greatest of your Order, and you made him hate it." Palpatine grinned, "Isn't irony grand?"

Palpatine took a seat beside Mace's bed. "He reached out to you, begging for you to accept him. The Jedi slapped his hand and kept him chained … expecting him to be a mindless weapon. While the Sith reached out to him, offered him friendship … offered him equality. That is the truth of the galaxy my friend. The Jedi are weapons for politicians and those who rule, the Sith are the saviors … the Republic just …altered your points of view."

"That isn't true …" Mace shook his head, his voice losing some of its edge.

"Think about it, Master Windu," Palpatine sighed, "Who orders the Jedi Council? Who informs the Jedi Council of potential Jedi Recruits? Who do the Jedi protect without question?"

"The Republic …" Mace closed his weak eyes tightly.

"The Republic was in full control of the Jedi since before you were even a Padawan, my friend," Palpatine laced his fingers in his lap. "There was little you could have done … but now … the Republic is no more … only the Galactic Empire of the Sith."

"You are a master of the Light Side of the Force, Master Windu," Palpatine leaned forward. "To become a true master of the Force … would it not be beneficial to learn of the Dark Side as well?"

"How many times did the Senate make a decision you didn't agree with … how would you like to have full control over what the Senate does or does not do?" Palpatine questioned, "Would you not like the ability to use your wisdom to control the galaxy as we see fit?" Palpatine touched Mace's remaining arm. "Pledge your allegiance unto me, Mace Windu, and as my Apprentice you will rule over the Galactic Senate as ever you wish."

"I …" Mace choked slightly. "I accept …"

"Excellent, now we will have to do some physical alterations to save your life, you understand … it could be painful," Palpatine stood up as a group of droids moved in. "But rest assured … you will be the greatest of my Apprentices … Darth Neco."

**To Be Continued … **

**Neco: Latin for "To bring death and suffering"**

I know Aayla died in the movie, but she rocks too much to not bring into this fic. This was just a preview chappy so the rest of the fic might not go up until I get somemore chapters written for it before hand. Let me know what you think of the premise and if ya'all like it enough, might get more faster. lol.

_C. Cowboy_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Rebel ****Alliance**

_Coruscant _

Night had fallen on the now Imperial capital as several Clone Storm Troopers stood with horrified children, from infancy to five years old, slowly loading them on a series of deep space shuttlecrafts, one per shuttle. "Keep it moving," Capt. Thawn said, approaching the Storm Troopers. The blue skinned Republic … Imperial Captain ordered with a sneer, before catching sight of a single Jedi Youngling fighting her restraints harder than any of the others. "A feisty one, are you?" Thawn said, placing a hand on the child's chin.

The young girl was no older than three, with long, golden-red hair running down to the middle of her shoulders and dazzling green eyes, staring back at the man in defiance. She was far too young to fully understand what was going on, but knew enough to know that something wasn't right, and Mara did not like it at all.

"What's your name, Youngling?" Thawn asked the girl, who only stared. "You look old enough to know how to speak at least your name. So give me your name." Mara answered by sinking her teeth into Captain's thin-glove covered hand, making him scream out in pain.

"It's a nice, dark night isn't it, troopers?" Thawn asked, shaking his hand while glaring at the girl, "It is a sad fate that such a young girl would wonder off and fall off the side of the landing pad, wouldn't it …" Thawn said, then threw up his hands when the troopers trained their guns on him.

"Orders are as follows, take Jedi Younglings to shuttles safely and on to Emperor Palpatine's assigned instructors," the Trooper captain stated, "Any alterations to the orders is unauthorized."

"Fine, fine, whatever …" Thawn growled, blinking when he heard the sound of TIE engines whining in the distance. "Are the Emperor's prototype fighters already flight-ready?"

The Trooper captain raised a pair of binoculars to his visor. "It is not an Imperial Fighter, sir. There are two Jedi Star Fighters approaching at a fly-by vector and speed, sir."

"What? But the Jedi are all dead!" Thawn said as the yellow and red Jedi Fighters could be vaguely seen approaching. "Get the Younglings onboard now; the Emperor shall not lose his Hands!" Thawn ordered as the Jedi Star Fighters continued to close the gap.

The Stormtroopers started shoving/carrying the children onto the various shuttles as the fighters approached and the canopies of the fighters sprung open. Anakin Skywalker and Obiwan Kenobi leapt from their fighters and landed onto the platform with their lit lightsabers already cutting through the unprepared Troopers. "Artoo, Arfour, land the fighters in a safe place and wait for our signal," Anakin spoke into a com, slashing a trooper in half.

"Darth Vader!" Thawn breathed staring at Anakin as he stood to his full height and bore down on the Imperial Captain.

"That name has no meaning to me, Traitor," Anakin said, approaching the Captain.

"Me, I'm not the traitor!" Thawn growled, reaching for the blaster in the holster on the small of his back.

"Palpatine has betrayed everything the Republic stands for, Thawn; you were the greatest of the Republic ship captains," Anakin said, approaching him, "How can you follow a man who burned the Republic's ideals to ashes?"

"The Republic has been dead for centuries, Skywalker; you wouldn't have helped him even as short of a time you did if you didn't agree," Thawn snarled, firing his blaster at the Jedi, who easily deflected the blast. "Thanks again for giving us our soon to be assassins!"

"Anakin, we were too late!" Obiwan called as he sliced through a group of Troopers, then pointing to where the group of shuttles was taking off.

"No, we're not!" Anakin growled, placing his lightsaber on his belt, making a dash after one of the Imperial Shuttles, and taking a Force Leap behind the already in flight shuttlecraft. The Jedi Knight landed on the wing and sunk his droid-prosthetic fingers into the metallic armor.

Obiwan sighed as he watched the shuttle and Anakin quickly fade from sight. "I hate it when he does that …"

* * *

Anakin took a deep breath when he realized the air was getting thin, and started to climb toward the main part of the shuttle. "I won't fail again," Anakin hissed as he gripped his lightsaber and plunged the glowing blue blade into the top of the Imperial Shuttle, cutting himself an entrance. 

Anakin dropped inside the impromptu hatch, and immediately started slashing and deflecting blasts from the Stormtroopers. "Where's the child?" Anakin growled as he slashed one of the Troop captain's guards, and then turned to the clone leader.

"I am not authorized to reveal that information," The trooper said before gasping for air as he rose into the air.

"I find your lack of personality disturbing, Captain," Anakin said, tossing the choking clone across the inner hallway of the shuttle.

Anakin slashed open every door until he found the child curled in a ball in the cargo bay of the shuttle. "Are you alright?" Anakin asked, kneeling before the redhead.

"Are you going to take me away again?" she asked fearfully, looking up into Anakin's blue eyes.

Anakin felt guilt stab at him yet again, but forced it down for a later time. "No, I'm here to bring you home. What's your name?"

"Mara …" The girl whispered shyly, "Mara Kenobi."

"Kenobi?" Anakin blanched for a moment before smirking. "Interesting …"

"Ok, Mara Jade, I want you to hold on to me tight, ok?" He said, lifting her up, "Arms around my neck and legs around my waist, ok?" He said, and the child did as told. "No matter what, don't let go, ok?" Anakin said as he sunk his lightsaber into the floor of the cargo bay 'And hope we haven't left orbit yet …' he added mentally as he started to cut a circle around them.

"Mara Jade?" Mara asked, but was cut off when the floor dropped out from under them, and was reduced to screaming her little head off as she and Anakin went freefalling in the Coruscant sky.

"Artoo!" Anakin yelled into the COM link as they tumbled through the sky. He waited a moment before speaking into it again. "TODAY, ARTOO!"

Anakin finally sighed in relief as he saw his Jedi Starfighter rocketing toward them. He twisted in the air, Mara still clinging and screaming with all her might, before yelping when they landed roughly in the soft seat of Anakin's fighter. "There, was that so bad?"

"Can we do it again?" She asked, beaming at the Jedi as Anakin placed the control node on his forehead.

"Maybe later …" Anakin winked, "Master, are you there?"

"On the way, Anakin, are you alright?" Obiwan's voice answered on the com.

"Yes, we're both ok," Anakin replied, "And I have a young lady here that you certainly must meet …"

* * *

"If you keep this up, Anakin," Obiwan said as he approached his former Padawan, who was helping the young child from the cockpit of his fighter that was now locked down in the hanger of a small Alderaanian carrier. "I will end up with more gray hair and wrinkles than Master Yoda!" the Jedi complained, before seeing the vaguely familiar child. "And who's this?" 

"Oh, Mara Jade?" Anakin asked, picking up the child to hold her on his hip. "This is just a stray I picked up, you know how it is …"

"Jade? Odd family name, where's she from." Obiwan inquired, looking over the girl, who was clinging to Anakin's robes shyly.

"Oh, it's not her family name, Master," Anakin smirked, cocking his scared eyebrow at his master. "That's just a nickname I gave her for her eyes. Tell Master Kenobi your real name, Mara," Anakin said, fighting back the smile when Mara perked up.

"Mara Kenobi …" Mara said, before burying her face in Anakin's robes.

"Kenobi, you say?" Obiwan blinked rapidly, glancing from the girl to his grinning former pupil.

"Do you think she's any relation to you, Master?" Anakin asked.

"It's a possibility, Anakin," Obiwan rubbed his beard, "We'll ask Master Yoda when we arrive on Alderaan."

"We should reach Alderaan in a few hours," Anakin said, trying to shift the young girl still attached to his hip in a more comfortable position. "Think there's a place on this tin can Mara can get a good rest?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" Obiwan ushered the two out of the hanger.

* * *

Anakin awoke to the sound of blaster fire, and glanced around the sleeping quarters to find Mara and Obiwan to be no where to be found. "What the Force …" Anakin growled, pulling his lightsaber and easing out to see no one around, but the sight of the blast doors at the end of the hallway starting to give. "What in the twin suns' names is going on here …" He whispered, raising the lightsaber preparing to fight off whoever was coming through. 

He wasn't prepared for the blast doors to explode violently filling the once bright hallway with thick, black smoke. He coughed and tried to wave the smoke from his face. "Who's there?" He asked when he heard what sounded like a mechanical breather.

Anakin lifted his lightsaber as he climbed back to his feet, but gasped when the saber was jerked from his hand. "This is a Jedi's lightsaber, Anakin," the booming synthetic voice spoke as a black armored figured appeared through the smoke, "We both know that is not what you are. Not anymore."

"Who are you?" Anakin asked as the figure stepped toward him. "I asked you a question who … are … you …" Anakin suddenly found it hard to breath as he was lifted into the air by a force choke.

"You know who I am, Annie," the demon breathed, reaching up to remove his jet black helmet, revealing a mechanical full mask beneath it. Then with a pop and a loud hiss the mask was removed to reveal a twisted, pale, and horribly scared reflection of Anakin's own face. "You cannot run from your destiny, Anakin." Darth Vader spoke with Anakin's own voice.

Anakin's eyes widened in terror as they locked with Vader's bright yellow eyes, as the monster laughed in sick humor.

"ANAKIN! ANNIE, it's just a dream!" Anakin heard as he opened his eyes to see Obiwan gazing down at him worriedly.

"M-Master?" Anakin breathed as he sat up, but found it difficult to move with a small child fast asleep on his chest.

"Sound sleeper, this one is," Obiwan stroked Mara's hair. "Slept through your whimpering and thrashing around while using you as a pillow. Just like a former Padawan of mine," The Jedi Master said, visibly relaxing. "He was once the soundest sleeper in the Jedi Order. Then he started having dreams, dreams he swore to me were visions, but I never listened and my ignorance cost him dearly. Even trained Knights continue to learn like that though, and as your friend and former mentor, I am here to listen if you wish to talk about it." 

Anakin told Obiwan about the dream and then watched as the older Master stroked his beard in contemplation. "It is easy enough to explain from an outside point of view. To put it blatantly: You fear that you are destined to return to the service of the Dark Side of the Force and become Darth Vader yet again. Am I close?" Obiwan quirked an eyebrow at the downcast Jedi Knight.

"You described the hallway as very well lit, almost white, correct? My guess is that that is the part of the Force you reside in now, the light side, but the darkness is still there trying to fight its way in. At any moment, that could happen, Anakin, your lit hallway can be filled with Darkness." Obiwan nodded.

"How can I stop it?" Anakin asked, hissing slightly when Mara kicked in her sleep.

"You fight it back like everyone else does, but do not try to completely block it off Anakin," Obiwan warned, "Should you seal it off, it will happen like in your dream. The Darkness will grow and fester as it did once before, then explode, plunging you into darkness." Obiwan clamped a fist on Anakin's shoulder. "I'm here, Anakin, as your friend, if you need to talk. I'm here, as is Master Yoda, and I'm sure, given time, Padme will come around as well."

"Thanks, Master," Anakin gave a weak smile as Mara finally started to wake up.

"Are we there yet?" She asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"As a matter of fact we are, we should be landing on Alderaan in a few moments," Obiwan said, sitting down on his cot, "That's why I was coming to get you two."

Obiwan awaited the two to get fully woken up, and the two Jedi and the young child walked toward the exit ramp of the ship. "What's going on?" Mara asked when a large group of security was found waiting for them.

"Arrest Jedi Skywalker," Padme stated, glaring angrily at her no longer secret husband.

"On what charges, Padme?" Obiwan questioned, standing between his former student and the security. "Don't you think he's been through enough?"

"He betrayed the Republic, and your Jedi Order, I might add," Padme stated, her eyes staring coldly at Anakin's downcast face. "He deserves punishment for his crimes."

"Leave him alone, you mean, old lady!" Mara snapped, hugging Anakin's knee tightly.

"Listen to the child, you must," an old voice spoke from behind Padme. "Punishment for his crimes, received already he has."

Padme and the troopers turned to see Master Yoda hobbling toward them with a redheaded woman in a white and tan gown. "Indeed, if anyone has betrayed the Republic, or as it is now called, the Empire, it is us, Senator Nabierre."

"Mon Mothma, you don't understand …" Padme started, shaking her head. "He has …"

"Showed willingness to throw away everything to protect you from your own Republic and his own Jedi Order, I know," Mon Mothma held up a hand to silence the woman.

"Correct, Jedi Skywalker was," Yoda nodded, "Some in the Council were entertaining the thought of taking away power from the Senate, much to my disgust it was …"

"And while he was tricked by the Sith and was seduced by the Darkness," The aged Jedi explained, "Young Skywalker, with the aid of his friend, was able to return to the light, something some of the greatest of Masters have never been able to accomplish."

"I accept full responsibility for what I have done, Padme," Anakin finally spoke up, "What more do you want me to do to make it right."

Padme glanced around at Master Yoda, Master Kenobi and Mon Mothma, before narrowing her eyes on Anakin. "I want a divorce."

"If that's what you want, Padme …" Anakin dropped his head, his blond bangs hiding his eyes. "Just give me the paperwork to sign."

Padme stared at him for a moment, seeming to be fighting an internal battle before she spoke in an almost trembling voice. "Fine, as soon as it's ready, I'll have it to you."

She turned on her heel and walked solemnly into the Alderaanian spaceport. "Anakin, I'm so sorry …" Obiwan said, placing a hand on his former apprentice, his brother's shoulder.

"Doesn't matter," Anakin said, lifting Mara and placing her in Obiwan's arms, "I had it coming. I'm going to go meditate a while; I'll meet you and the others at dinner." He said walking into the far opposite entrance of the space port from where Padme vanished.

"Bad time, I believe it is …" Yoda shook his head, "Bring up the elimination of the celibacy and attachments in our code, I was planning …"

Obiwan blinked a couple times at the old Master, "You might could say that …" Obiwan then looked at the little girl. "I believe Aayla would be the best master for this Youngling," Obiwan said, meeting Mara's large eyes.

"Indeed, Jedi Secura, her master shall be." Yoda smiled, "Strong Jedi she will become, like her uncle."

Yoda chuckled as he and Obiwan walked into the space port they were using as a makeshift base and on to the large apartment that was made into the temporary Jedi Temple. They found Bail Organa and Aayla talking.

"Welcome back, my friends," Bail smiled, "I see you picked up another one."

"Hey, Ben," Aayla waved her good arm at the Jedi, "Bring me anything back?"

"Yes," Obiwan said, plopping the redhead in Aayla's lap. "A Padawan."

"Aayla Secura, Mara 'Jade' Kenobi," Obiwan introduced, "Now if you'll excuse me. Bail, I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

The two girls stared at each other for a moment before Mara spoke up. "Why do Twi'leks have tails on their heads, and if they're really tails, does that make you a butthead?"

"My, you're a feisty one," Aayla smirked, "I know you're smart if you're a smart-aleck."

"You didn't answer my question, Aayla." Mara stated with a blink.

"I'm your master now, Padawan, please refer to me as Master Secura or Master Aayla." Aayla stated, trying to sound as 'Master-ish' as possible.

"What if I don't wanna?" Mara asked again.

Meanwhile, outside the door, Obiwan stood uncomfortably with Bail. "What's wrong, Master Kenobi? I'm no Jedi, but even I can sense your nervousness."

"Bail, old friend, I need you to tell me how to do something …" Obiwan said, his cheeks turning a shade pink.

"And that is?" Bail asked, "If I know how, I'll be more than glad to help. But I don't know of I know anything your Master hadn't taught you."

"How do you ask a woman out on a date?" Obiwan asked with a shy smile.

"Oh." Bail blanched.

* * *

Inside the main council hall of Alderaan, a large group of people and aliens from various worlds gathered around the podium where Mon Mothma stood. To her far right stood the Jedi, Yoda, Obiwan Kenobi, Aayla Secura, and Aayla's young Padawan standing beside her. "Fellow former members of the Republic, we are gathered here for a specific purpose, in that we all are in agreement that Emperor Palpatine's Galactic Empire is unjust and must be overturned." She said, glancing around the room, eyes settling on Padme who was seated with Leia in her arms and Luke in Sabe's arms next to the Senator. "Palpatine has tricked us all, and has orchestrated a false Clone War. We had sacrificed so much in vain during those long years, so much we have lost and cannot regain." 

At that moment Anakin, walked in through the side door to stand beside the Jedi, he paid no attention to the shocked looks and whispers as he entered, though the tackle from the young redhead child grabbed his attention. "I thank you all for nominating me to be the leader of this organization … this Rebellion, and with the help of those here, who long to fight back, to the soldiers, farmers, scholars, senators, and Jedi Knights, we shall stand and shall free ourselves from Palpatine's grasp." Mon Mothma said, exciting a round of applause from the group.

"Now, I would like to allow another to speak before us," Mon Mothma spoke, glancing to the Jedi. "A soldier and friend, whom my late husband spoke fondly of in letters from the forefront of the Clone Wars. Please welcome the most noble and bravest of the Jedi Order and now my chief adviser and council, General Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin walked to the podium in the midst of silent witnesses and loud, angry boos. "Let me be the first to tell you all, as much as you hate me, the feelings you have toward me pale in comparison to the feelings I have for myself." Anakin closed his eyes and sighed, "The Palpatine I knew was one of the first friends I ever had,second only to … anyway, the Palpatine I knew was the same you knew, a kind generous man, who loved the Republic. Unfortunately, that Palpatine was a mask worn by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. He tricked us all, the Senate, the Jedi Council, everyone. He played us all, me especially. I have no excuse for what I have done, but I will swear this. I swear my life to this. I have lost almost everything I hold dear, as most of you here have … And though I hold the biggest blame for what has become of my life, Sidious has a big piece as well," Anakin said, his eyes fading a slight yellow before he shook his head, forcing his anger back down. "It's time we all took back what he has taken from us."

Anakin stood back, a look of determination on his face that made the whole room seem to stop to listen. "And should any of Palpatine's spies be here, I have a message for him should he be listening. Sidious, I am a Jedi, like my Masters before me."

Anakin wasn't prepared for ninety percent of the group to stand to their feet, cheering. "Um … thanks …" He said with a faint blush on his scarred cheeks, "uh … Back to you, Mon."

Mon Mothma grinned at the Jedi as he rejoined his fellow Knights. "Thank you, General Skywalker." She said before turning to the gathering. "While it is assured many of us here may not live to see the day freedom is restored to the galaxy, for our children and our children's children, we shall stand as one Rebel Alliance!"

"To bring Balance to the Force, your destiny is, young Knight," Yoda said, standing beside Anakin. "Alone you must not stand, with time, forgiveness among the people you will gain, but until then rebuilding the Jedi as best we can, we must."

"My children; Luke and Leia?" Anakin asked, glancing down at the aged Master.

"Trained as Jedi they must be," Yoda nodded, "Luke, your Padawan shall be, Train Leia, Obiwan will."

"Master Windu survived …" Yoda said gravely.

"Master Windu?" Anakin asked, turning toward the master. "That's good news."

"Is it, Anakin?" Yoda asked, glancing up. "Is it …"

* * *

_Coruscant_

The newly dubbed Imperial Senate was preparing to go to order. Several substantial absences were seen in the Council Chamber, now the only remains were the humanoid races. "So, is Emperor Palpatine still presiding?" one of the remaining Senators asked. The answer was quickly given as the central chamber opened to a slow mechanical 'Kuh-Kah' sound.

A black armored figure in a large cloak rose, his eyes almost glowing red as he peered over the auditorium. "I am Darth Neco." His booming mechanical voice spoke through his full black breather mask. "I will head this senate unless there are any complaints to the manner."

"How do we know you'll be a good leader?" a senator stood up, "We don't even know who you are, how can we … we .. w …" He choked as Darth Neco reached toward him with his grasping hand. The Senator quickly fell to the ground lifeless.

"Are there any other objections?" Neco asked, glancing around the chamber. "Anyone?" There was dead silence. "That is … disappointing."

Neco gave one more glance around. "Let the Imperial Senate come to order."

**To Be Continued … **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Freckles and The Desert Rat **

Barriss Offee stood worriedly gripping her lightsaber with Jedi Master Shaak Ti; both women wore worried and defeated expressions. "This is it, isn't it?" Barriss asked as the doors dented a little from the battering ram's charge.

"It is better to die fighting as a warrior than to die running as a coward." Shaak Ti replied, activating her own lightsaber, her dark eyes closing for a moment before she came to stand by the younger Jedi's side.

They had been holed up in the small, stone shack for several days now, and any hope of being rescued was shot when they were finally discovered by the Clone Troopers, who instantly opened fire on them. "I hear another ship approaching," Shaak spoke, "As if they need reinforcements …"

Both women looked at each other in awe when the sound of combat echoed from the other side of the door. The both stood ready, but glanced at one another when silence overtook their position. "Open up, safe it is." Yoda's voice sounded from the other side of the stone building.

The two Jedi rapidly began to unfastening the damaged door and found Yoda, Obiwan, and Aayla standing there with a group of informally dressed troops standing over the group of Clone Troopers.

"Are you two alright?" Obiwan asked, smiling at the two women.

"Are there any more with you?" Aayla asked worriedly as she hugged her old friend.

"We're fine, but we were the only ones to escape the Clones," Barriss said nervously, returning the Twi'lek's hug. "They got a message then started firing on us; what happened?"

"Long story, it is," Yoda sighed, shaking his head sadly. "Explain on the way back to Alderaan, we will."

"Our ship is this way," Obiwan said, leading them to a group of shuttles and an old, barely holding together Corellian YT-1300 freighter.

"This is your ship?" Barriss blinked at the rickety ship. "Only you, Master Kenobi, would be brave enough to take this ship out of a ship yard."

"It's not mine," Obiwan shrugged, "Anakin's been working on it for the last few years as a hobby."

"Annie, I should have known," Barriss gave a slight giggle, but suddenly paled at a thought. "Anakin, is he ok? He hasn't been hurt in the attacks, has he?"

"Is Anakin ok? Well … it depends on your definition of ok …" Obiwan said, leading them inside and toward the cockpit of the freighter.

Obiwan and Aayla got the freighter out of orbit and into hyperspace toward Coruscant when they all regrouped again in the rest area in the center of the ship.

"Master Obiwan, what happened to Anakin, please?" Barriss asked again, sounding worried and irritated at how long she'd had to wait to wait.

Obiwan glanced to Aayla and Yoda before telling the two women what they had missed. "…And as far as we know we're the only surviving Jedi left. The Council has been shattered, and we've decided to drop the current code for the previous 'Revanistic Code'." Obiwan said, not looking at the group. "Anakin … while you may feel anger for him, no matter how much you feel about him, nothing could compared to the self-hatred Anakin has been putting himself through. And since Padme left him, you can feel the loss whenever you're even close to him. I blame Palpatine for this mostly, but we all are to blame. He put us all in a position to doom ourselves."

Shaak and Barriss both had visible reactions to the news. Shaak's dark eyes were wide and stared in shock and horror. Barriss had a more vocal response.

"I refuse to believe this," Barriss said, standing up. "Annie's the most kind-hearted person I have ever met, let alone in our Order," She argued, shaking her head. "Annie wouldn't do what you've said he did. Even if it is true … Anakin needs support now. Why is his _wife_ leaving him now of all times?"

"It's a difficult situation …" Obiwan said, rubbing his eyes.

"Ya think?" Aayla asked, rolling her eyes.

"What is this 'Revanistic Code'?" Shaak Ti asked, trying to break the tension in the air.

"Named after the founder of the second Jedi Order, it was," Yoda stated, "Written by the Jedi Master and former Sith Lord Darth Revan and his wife Bastila Shen. Ironic … destroyed his order after falling to the Dark Side, Revan did, then aided in rebuilding it anew, free of the corruption that had undertaken it. History repeating itself, it seems."

"The Code is a lot freer to emotions and attachments," Obiwan said, "Instead of looking at attachments as a source of weakness; it sees them as a source of focus and purpose."

"Meaning we can date," Aayla couldn't help but smile at that one. "Even though some of use will have more chances at attracting the opposite sex than others." The Twi'lek said, sticking out her chest.

It took Barriss a moment to realize that her friend was staring at her as she said that. "Are you referring to me, old friend?" Barriss batted her eyes a moment before sending a defiant look at her friend turned challenger. "Just because your race is known for being exotic, the fact you're disproportional in certain areas will still hurt your chances."

"Oh, you're one to talk, always wearing those big robes to hide what you DON'T have," Aayla smirked down at the freckled faced, green skinned Jedi as Obiwan and Shaak Ti watched uncomfortably while Yoda just hid his face in his clawed hands.

"It's not size, it's proportion!" Barriss shot back.

"Why I preferred the old code, this is …" Yoda whimpered into his hands.

"Anakin would love to hear this conversation …" Obiwan couldn't help smirking when both arguing females stopped to stare at him, blushes crossing their noses.

"I hope he's alright …" Barriss said, looking down at her lap before standing up quickly. "I'm going to go meditate … you do have some private chamber in this wreck, don't you?"

"This isn't a wreck," Obiwan countered dejectedly. "Anakin and I both have put a lot of work in this ship, and it is very much flight-worthy." As the Jedi Master said this, a cable on the edge of the rest area busted loose and hissing steam filled the chamber. "That happens every so often, but it is still very flight worthy." Obiwan glanced around at the disbelieving faces, "got an unused rest quarters down that hallway to the left, Aayla … help." Obiwan said as he and the Twi'lek moved to the damaged cable.

* * *

Barriss sighed as she sat cross-legged in the rear chamber, trying to ignore Obiwan and Aayla's argument over the repairs of the damaged air cable. Her mind though was elsewhere entirely. "Annie …" She sighed out loud, resting her wrists on her knees. Had the Clone Wars changed her friend so much that he would become a Sith Lord? There had to be more to it; there's no way her friend for over half of her life had done that without good reason. 

Barriss had been only eleven years old when she first met Anakin Skywalker; he was almost ten at the time and barely a Padawan. She still remembered the day clearly.

Jedi Obiwan Kenobi and Barriss' Jedi Master, Jedi Luminara Unduli, were sent on what Masters Kenobi and Unduli called a 'Lightsaber Diplomatic Mission' on an Outer-Middle Rim world that Barriss never really caught the name of.

_"Why can't I come with you, Master?" the eleven year old Barriss asked in their stateroom on the massive starcruiser in orbit of the planet._

_"It's going to be very dangerous, my young apprentice," Luminara's blue eyes shined as she smiled at her young Padawan Learner._

_"What am I gonna do up here then?" Barriss asked with a slight pout._

_"You could always meditate or practice with your lightsaber," Luminara said, checking her belt._

_"Can I see if Master Kenobi's Padawan wants to practice with me?" Barriss asked, "Maybe we can compare notes or something."_

_"NO!" Luminara said, glancing up quickly, but just as quickly containing herself. "No, you must keep your distance from that boy, Barriss."_

_"Why?" Barriss asked innocently. "He's just a freakishly pale, short, harmless kid."_

_"He's far more dangerous than he appears, my Padawan," Luminara stated, standing up. "He is a freak of nature, not even born a natural birth. He is too old and far too strong to be trained, and I feel it is a mistake of the Council to give such a … hazard in any master's hand to train, let alone one as inexperienced a teacher as Master Kenobi."_

_"He's just a boy, Master …" Barriss said, glancing away from the elder Jedi._

_"Nonetheless, you will not instigate any contact with Padawan Skywalker without myself and/or Master Kenobi's presence," Luminara said, moving toward the door. "Is that understood, Padawan Offee?" Luminara waited for Barriss to acknowledge her before walking out of the room._

_Barriss sat there for a few moments before sneaking out behind her master, being careful to shield her force presence as best she could. "Where'd did Master Luminara go?" She whispered to herself when she heard a young boy's voice speak. "But Master …"_

_"No buts, Anakin," Barriss peeked around the corner to see Jedi Obiwan Kenobi talking to the 'hazard' her master spoke of._

_"Why'd I even come if I can't do anything but stay on the ship?" Anakin asked disappointedly, his small thumbs resting in his belt._

_"Anakin," Obiwan said, dropping to his knee before the boy. "You know we don't want anymore trouble; that's why you can't stay alone at the Temple anymore. If anything that happened like before happens again…"_

_"But it wasn't my fault, Obiwan," Anakin replied heatedly. "Those boys started it."_

_"Number one, Padawan, you will refer to me as Master," Obiwan stated sternly. "Number two, They may have started it, but you certainly finished it. This isn't Tatooine where you have to fight for your very survival. You must learn to trust those above you, Anakin. Had you simply gone to a master …"_

_"They would have sided with them!" Anakin sighed, "They don't trust me, Obi-... Master, nobody does…"_

_"Trust must be earned, Padawan," Obiwan said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "And this is a way for you to earn my trust; do as I say and don't cause any trouble. I'll be back as soon as I can."_

_"Yes, Master …" Anakin sighed._

_"Good boy, Annie, may the Force be with you." Obiwan said, standing up._

_"May the Force be with you too, Master …" Anakin sighed before turning and walking away from his oblivious master._

_Barriss waited for Obiwan to leave before she snuck along the way the young Tattooinian Padawan disappeared to. It took the light green skinned girl a few moments to locate him, but when she did, it was not what she expected of the dangerous youngling that had been spoken of among many circles in the Jedi._

_She found the boy on an observation deck sitting on the floor with his knees pulled to his chest and his shoulders trembling. "Are you crying?" She asked, biting her lip when she realized she asked it out loud._

_"Who's there?" Anakin asked, rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his tunic as he turned to face the girl hanging onto the doorway fearfully._

_Barriss stepped timidly toward the boy. "I'm … I'm Jedi Barriss Offee, Master Unduli's Padawan. You're Jedi Anakin Skywalker, Master Kenobi's Padawan, correct?"_

_"Yeah, that's me … what do you want?" He asked, turning his back again._

_"I mean no harm …" Barriss said, continuing her approach. "I was just curious… We are close to the same age and never met. Most Padawans of the same age group together in kinship, yet we've never met before."_

_"Guess you can say I'm a loner." Anakin said shortly, still avoiding the slightly older Padawan._

_Closer now, Barriss noticed the boy shivering and his teeth rattling. Anakin almost jumped out of his skin when the warm velvety cloak came down around his shoulders. "My robes are made from Mirian velvet," Barriss said, sitting down beside the boy. "Mirian velvet is known for its warmth."_

_"Thank you," Anakin said, shyly pulling the cloak around him a little tighter._

_"You aren't a loner," Barriss stated, "Your eyes are too kind to be a loner, Padawan Skywalker."_

_"What do you know?" Anakin said almost shyly, glancing away from Barriss' intense blue eyes._

_"Know little about you for one," Barriss stated, resting her chin on her knees. "I have heard that you are the oldest to be allowed into the Order. How old were you when you were taken in?"_

_"Ten," Anakin replied, still not looking at his fellow Padawan._

_"But … you are ten now, are you not?" Barriss asked, glancing at him in surprise._

_"I've been with Obiwan … sorry, Master Kenobi for around six months now, Jedi Offee," Anakin said, paling slightly at the slack jawed look Barriss was giving him. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"_

_"No, it's just …" Barriss tried to gather her thoughts. "I have been in the Order since I was an infant, and it is ok for you to call me Barriss if it is ok for me to call you Anakin … if you don't mind being friends with me of course …"_

_"You want to be my friend?" Anakin asked, this time being the one to be slack jawed._

_"Yes, again if you don't mind being friends with me," Barriss said, looking away. "I don't have that many … my friend Aayla says I'm too impulsive for some of the other Padawans."_

_"Well I don't have any," Anakin said sadly, "I don't even think Master Obiwan wants me around …"_

_"Then it's decided. Anakin Skywalker, you're officially my friend." Barriss said with a firm nod._

_"Ok, and your officially my friend too … Freckles." Anakin said, giving Barriss a beaming smile._

_"Freckles?" Barriss blinked in confusion._

_"Yeah, it's a nickname, and only I'm allowed to call you that," Anakin smirked, "because of your freckles … on your face, silly." Anakin laughed, touching one of the diamond shaped marks on Barriss' face._

_Realization struck her instantly and the two pre-teens started laughing together._

_"So you remember what your home world is like?" Barriss asked after a few moments of laughter. "I've visited my home world once, but I was so young when I left I don't really … remember it as being my home. I'm sure it's different for you though."_

_"Yeah, but Tatooine isn't much to talk about …" Anakin said, looking out as the sun rose on the other side of the planet. "The twin suns rising over the Dune Sea were really cool though …"_

_"Dune Sea?" Barriss asked, her eyes wide and curious._

_"Yeah, lots and lots of sand, sand as far as the eye can see," Anakin said, drawling out while stretching out his arms as if to show her. "Even in town, there was sand everywhere and it got in everything, but … it's still home."_

_"Tell me more about it," Barriss requested, beaming with interest. "It's really interesting, Desert Rat."_

_"Desert Rat?" Anakin furrowed his brow._

_"Hey, if you can get away with calling me Freckles, I can call you Desert Rat." Barriss huffed._

_"That's the best you can come up with?" Anakin started to laugh, but grew silent when one of Barriss' eyes narrowed. "Desert Rat is a great name. I like it!"_

"You are probably one of the few who could call Anakin a 'Rat' and not get thrown through a wall," Obiwan's voice brought Barriss out of her memories; she opened her eyes to see Master Kenobi seated cross-legged across from her.

"I should have been there," Barriss stated simply, "If I hadn't …" Obiwan silenced her with a raised hand.

"No point in worrying about what could have or would have been," Obiwan stated, "I could have stopped it a long time ago if I had been the Master Qui-Gon wanted me to be." Obiwan sighed sadly. "All we can do now is pick up the pieces and try to right as much as we can."

"Master Yoda would be angry with you if he heard you say that," Barriss smiled slightly. "There is no try."

"Anakin has ALWAYS been the exception to all the rules," Obiwan nodded to himself. "You know, looking back on what's happened, I've come to a realization." Obiwan stated, glancing toward the small port window of the ship and the stars outside it. "Palpatine didn't turn Anakin; we, the Jedi, turned him to the Dark Side."

"It would have been a lot easier to just have befriended him as a child like you did," Obiwan placed his hands on his knees, "Than burying all the fallen Jedi in the last few weeks." Obiwan closed his eyes in thought. "Many times Anakin had gotten in trouble, and instead of standing up for him as Qui-Gon would have, I just agreed with everythingthe Councilsaid. I'm as much to blame as the Jedi that alienated him."

"'Why do we fall, Master Kenobi?'" Barriss asked sagely. "'So that we may learn to pick ourselves up again.'Master Luminara told me that and she also once told me that the Jedi were as one family; perhaps it is time we treated Anakin as such?"

"Hey, We're coming up on Alderaan," Aayla and Shaak Ti said as they entered the room.

"Excellent …" Obiwan lifted his head for a moment before sighing sadly. "It appears to be finished …"

"What, Master?" Shaak Ti asked as the two seated Jedi stood.

* * *

It wasn't hard for Barriss Offee to locate Anakin's strong yet sad Force presence in what was being used as the Rebel Alliance's temporary base. What surprised her though was the other presence that was with him; it wasn't harnessed, but still incredibly strong. She located the small apartment near the Jedi's makeshift council chamber. She carefully and quietly opened the door and gave a small smile at the sight before her. 

Anakin Skywalker sat back asleep in a rocking chair with an infant sleeping with his cheek pressed to his father's chest, both dead to the world.

Anakin, sensing the presence, opened one eye then both at the familiar face before him. "It's been a long time, Freckles." Anakin said, sitting up and laying the child in his embrace back into a cradling position. "I'm glad to see you survived my screw up." Anakin sighed and looked away. "Go ahead, everyone else has blamed me for what happened. Let's get it out of your system, shall we?"

"What?" Barriss seemed taken aback by the statement.

"Well, Padme has left me because of it," Anakin counted off, "Most of the Alliance wants to see me drawn and quartered with my own lightsaber; Aayla tried to kill me, calling me a murderer, and Master Obiwan …well he didn't say anything, but I get the funny feeling he enjoyed it a little bit taking my arm and legs off on Mustafar."

Barriss stared at her old friend for several moments before turning to the table where several written reports were scattered about. "Ok, then, I guess you do deserve punishment, Jedi Skywalker." She said, reaching for several papers. Anakin watched in confusion as she rolled the papers up then popped Anakin between the eyes with her makeshift weapon. "Bad Desert Rat." She said scoldingly, "Bad boy."

"What was that?" Anakin asked, rubbing his forehead with his free hand.

"Your punishment for turning on those who had already turned on you," Barriss said, placing her hands on her hips. "Now that that's out of the way, who's this?" She asked, glancing at the baby in Anakin's arms.

"This is my son, Luke," Anakin said, beaming with pride toward the stirring child.

Barriss, after giving a glance for permission, took the baby in her arms. Luke instantly awoke and cooed happily as Barriss held him close. "He looks just like his father, only a lot nicer to look at." She smirked up at Luke's father.

"You should see his sister," Anakin smiled, "She's a doll." He said before his smile and eyes drooped. "We got joint custody. Since Padme and I will still be living in the same area, Mon Mothma didn't think it would be hard to share custody of the kids …"

"I see," She said, lightly rocking Anakin's infant son. She smiled a moment before growing worried when Luke began to quietly whimper. "I think something's wrong …"

"Yes and no," Anakin said, standing up and taking the infant from her. "He needs a new diaper and that's his 'I need new pants' whimper." He said, laying Luke on the table and began undoing his diaper.

"Yeah, Anakin vacuums and does the dishes too," Aayla said as she entered with her young Padawan. "Mara, this is my friend, Jedi Barriss Offee," Aayla introduced her apprentice to her old friend. "Barriss, this is my Padawan, Mara."

Mara looked up at Barriss critically. "You're friends with Master Butthead? Why would you do that?" Mara yelped when Aayla flicked her in the head.

"Hey, is that your baby, Anakin?" Mara gushed at the Jedi Knight and she bounced over to look at the baby. "He's cute cause he looks just like you!" She beamed up at the baby's father.

"I wouldn't get too close, Mara, at least until …" Anakin said before gaping as a stream of yellowish fluid sprayed on Mara's smiling face. The smile instantly vanished. "I get the diaper on …"

"Why … you … little …" Mara fumed as the fluid ran down her crimson face. Luke only giggled at Mara's fiery glare and unleashed another spray of yellow that struck her in the face again. "GAH!" Mara screamed, running her hands over stinging eyes. "HE'S PEEING ON ME!"

Anakin couldn't hold it in as he sat back and held his stomach, laughing loudly along with everyone else except the fuming three year old. Mara's eyes filled with tears as she ran out screaming.

"You better go get your Padawan cleaned up, Master Butthead." Barriss chuckled, making Aayla instantly stop laughing and start glaring. The relaxing laugh was not meant to last though as alarms sounded through out the complex. Anakin quickly turned to the window and his jaw dropped.

Imperial Warships were above the city.

**To Be Continued… **


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who's read and especially those who reviewed! Not much I can say but those wondering how Aayla survived her attack and such ... that'll come out within the next couple chapters that's all for now, enjoy the update!**

**Chapter 4: Confrontation part 1**

Anakin ran with Luke tucked safely in his arms; the trembling ground showed signs that the planet was being bombarded. "Anakin, it's about time you showed up!" Obiwan barked as Anakin joined the gathered leaders of the Rebellion.

"YOU! You did this didn't you? You gave away our position!" Padme accused, Leia starting to whimper in her mother's arms from her jerking behavior.

"Look, Senator," Anakin snapped, causing Padme to take a step back in shock at his tone. "Believe what you want; I don't have the time to argue right now. I want you to take our kids and escape while the Jedi and what troopers we have hold off the Imperials."

"You're not the boss of me, Skywalker," Padme shot back, passing Luke and Leia to Lady Organa. "Number one: I still don't trust you, and number two: there's not enough troopers to back up an invasion like this. Sabé, where's my rifle!" 

"Fine," Anakin rolled his eyes as Padme's handmaiden appeared at her side with two blaster rifles and handed one to the Senator. "Let's, get to the line." He said before turning to his astromech droid and his gold plated companion. "Threepio, Artoo, get the ship ready to go. We'll be getting out of here in a hurry."

"Yes, Master Anakin, we'll have it ready post haste, sir." Threepio stated before turning toward the Corellian Freighter. "Come along, Artoo … Artoo …" Threepio said frilly before growling in frustration. "Wait for me, you rolling tin can!" he called as he waddled behind the happily beeping droid.

Anakin, Padme, and Sabé ran to where the troopers and Jedi were securing the large wall between the city and the courtyard of the shipyard. "Ah, my former Padawan, you're doing well. You already have your ex and her friend running after you with firearms."

"You know me, Master, have to get things settled right away," He added with a smirk as Padme scowled at the pair.

"This is no time for jokes," Padme snapped.

"What are you talking about, my lady," Obiwan bowed mock-humbly. "Who wants to die not having fun?"

"Showing off for your allies time for later, there will be, Master Kenobi," Master Yoda said, moving to their side. "Ask you two, I must, to stay with the group … for easy escape. Make it so we must save you before we escape, do not." He said with a smirk as he continued past them.

"Was the little frog acting froggy?" Anakin asked with a lopsided smile.

"I believe he was; odder things have happened, Anakin," Obiwan chuckled.

"No, they haven't, here we go." Anakin nodded to the jerking barricade.

"We have five hundred troopers at the door, Generals Kenobi and Skywalker," a trooper said running to him.

"That all? I figured the Palpatine would consider us more of a threat," Obiwan blinked before igniting his saber.

"Two fifty a piece, Master?" Anakin said, lighting his.

"Do not forget we're not the only ones fighting today," Obiwan added, nodding to Padme, Sabé, Barriss, Aayla, Shaak, and the other sixty something untrained soldiers.

"So, Two fifty a piece, Master?" Anakin smirked, turning his back to duck the five death glares from the girls.

"Are you saying we can't help?" Aayla replied, her head tails trembling with her temper.

"What? No, just … well, we figured … you want to give it a try then?" Anakin said, glancing to Obiwan. "Ok, we'll stand back and let you guys handle this one." He said as he and Obiwan replaced their sabers. "That is ok with you, Master?" Anakin said, winking his right eye so the others couldn't see and rubbing his chin.

"Don't see anything wrong with that, Anakin," Obiwan said, scratching his ear, blinking twice, and then rubbing his mustache and beard.

Padme and Barriss both lifted their eyebrows as Anakin and Obiwan in unison sat down cross-legged with relaxed smiles on their faces. "Go right ahead." Anakin motioned to the barely standing defense door.

"They're insane …" Barriss blinked before shifting her grip on her lightsaber.

"I could have told you that a couple years ago, Offee …" Padme muttered as she trained her blaster rifle on the door.

Anakin smirked at Obiwan as he brought his lightsaber up to his lips like a microphone, "Thank you for joining us today on Alderaan for the battle of the Imperial Clone Troopers against the Rebel Alliance. This is Jedi Anakin Skywalker and his sidekick, Obiwan Kenobi reporting live!"

"Sidekick?" Obiwan cocked an eyebrow, but turned his attention back forward as the door burst open. "And we're off!"

Blaster fire started instantly, beginning from the Imperials, but returned by the Rebel troopers and deflected back by the Jedi. "So far it looks the Rebels are off to a good start." Anakin stated, watching the battle.

"Indeed, my former Padawan," Obiwan stated, "Jedi Barriss Offee and Jedi Master Shaak Ti have improved a great deal since the last time we've seen them in combat."

Anakin's watchful eye watched them as they moved gracefully, avoiding their friendly fire and deflecting the blasts back at the attacking clones. "Most interesting, Master," Anakin smirked when Barriss flipped through the air to block a blast toward one of the troopers then watched Shaak Ti carefully as she did a similar move. "You'd think Jedi Offee and Master Ti would be quite conservative, would you not?"

"That I would, Anakin, but after seeing what I have seen just then, I would have to say that the girls have a bit of a naughty side to them." Obiwan said with a snicker.

"Indeed they do, Master, despite the bulky, form covering Jedi robes, which have given them the false image of noble, conservative Jedi Knights, their flips and jumps have proven otherwise to these simple humble observers." Anakin grinned as Barriss and Shaak cut their eyes to the nearby pair.

"You would think with all the advances in science that they would use the revolutionary device that has been given the title panties or undergarments." Obiwan grinned.

"That is true. Perhaps the lack of undergarments give the beautiful Jedi a sense of freedom or perhaps it's like the trait I have seen in my ex-wife I like to call … _Nubian Naughtiness_." Anakin said with a smirk. "Duck," he added calmlyas he and his former master ducked the flying debris launched their way from the two Jedi in question.

Obiwan then glanced to Padme who was laying on her belly to fire her blaster. "I see what you mean, Anakin. If you look a certain way you can see a birthmark on Padme's right cheek."

"That's no birthmark, Master Obiwan," Anakin grinned proudly as Padme glanced back wide-eyed. "That's a Tattooinian hicky; one of my best. A good one of those plus force power can last a couple years."

"You kissed her ass?" Obiwan glanced with a cocked eyebrow to his former student.

"Of course. How else does one get a senator to sleep with him?" Anakin shrugged, making good on one of the few times he felt comfortable joking about his recent past.

"Excellent point, Padawan." Obiwan nodded as Anakin ducked to the side as a stun blast came from Padme's position.

"Oops." Padme growled before reset her blaster to lethal and continued firing on the invaders.

"Uh Oh …" Obiwan narrowed his eyes and let the smile ease off his face. "Looks like they're tired of playing." He said as twenty troop star-transports landed and began unloading their troopers.

"I thought you said we'd let them have two waves?" Anakin said standing up. "But I see your point; it looks like give or take a thousand troopers. That looks like a decent push. And it'll be at least few cycles for all the ships to get in the air."

"Shall we join the party now, Anakin?" Obiwan motioned toward the archway.

"Age before beauty," Anakin saluted with his lightsaber before lighting it.

"What are you two doing?" Shaak Ti called out as Obiwan and Anakin ran to the archway passage.

"We're just going outside for a while; don't let anyone but us through this arch!" Obiwan replied before they jumped into the massive army of clones.

"Impressive they have become," Yoda nodded from his perch, regretting losing his lightsaber in the Senate Chamber weeks ago and yet to have an opportunity to replace it.

"Impressive, isn't the word …" Shaak Ti replied, watching the two Jedi cut through the troops like a lightsaber through steel. "It's like watching the Force itself in action."

"Do you know what this reminds me of, Master?" Anakin said, slashing five troopers with one attack. "Remember when you fell into the Droid Army factory, and the finished droids weren't happy to see us?"

"I seem to recall it differently," Obiwan said as heForce shoved a group of clonesbefore pushing his saber into the chest of a clone trooperand spinning, taking out the trooper and the troopers around him. "As I remember it, you tripped the alarm and the floor opened under me."

"I don't remember that," Anakin smirked, performing a Force shove of his own.

"They just keep coming," Obiwan complained as he continued to slash and stab.

"Hey, if Palpatine wants to throw away his clones, who am I to complain?" Anakin replied, deflecting a blaster shot, then slashing a trooper's head off. "Obiwan, behind you!" Anakin called, allowing his former master to deflect an attempted surprise attack, but Anakin himself cried out with pain as a commando attacked him from behind, sinking an energy dagger into his shoulder.

"ANAKIN!" stereo feminine voices echoed as a black and green blur joined him at his side, slashing at the surroundingclone troopers while a short distance away, Padme ducked and dodged while firing on the commando attacking her ex-husband.

"Padme?" Anakin blinked in surprise.

"Don't read too much into it," Padme growled, firing a few more shots. "The last of the ships are away; the only one left is your jalopy."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Anakin grunted, gripping his shoulder.

"Just this." Padme smirked and heldup a thermal detonator. "Fascinating toy, this is."

Barriss gawked while Anakin and Obiwan chuckled. "Fire in the hole." Padme warned as she pressed the button on the top of the metalsphere and rolled it into the oncoming troopers, leading the Jedi in a full sprint back to the courtyard archway.

The group dodged the blast of the detonator and found the waiting freighter humming for them. "Listen to that baby purr," Anakin sighed as the four ran up the loading ramp.

"Daydream later, flyboy," Barriss stated, shoving him up the ramp.

"Master Anakin, there's something you need to …" Threepio said as the group ran past him toward the cockpit.

"Tell me later, Threepio, like when we're safe in hyperspace," Anakin wavedthedroidoff as he, himself,dropped down into the pilot's chair.

"But sir! That's what I'm trying …" Threepio tried again, but Anakin just held up his open palm toward Threepio and closed it into a fist. "Well, I never … Such rudeness."

"Fly, baby, fly …" Anakin said as the ship lifted into the air and shot toward the skies. He glanced from his instruments to Obiwan, satisfied with the ship's performance, andthen yelped when he felt a stinging sensation on his shoulder. "Padme! What the Force are you doing?"

"You're hurt, stupid, now shut up and take the Bacta patch like a man." She snapped, "TURN! TURN," pointing forward, and the blond Jedi followed her finger to see an incoming Imperial fighter bearing down on them.

He muttered a curse as the ship turned a hard left, sending Padme tumbling into Barriss' lap.

"That's why you always wear your safety belt," Obiwan smirked back at the girls, "Especially when he's driving."

Padme blushed and wordlessly managed to climb over to her seat as Anakin made the ship twist and turn in space dodging fire and ships. "Got the jump plotted, Anakin," Obiwan stated suddenly, and Barriss and Padme both slumped back in their seats in relief.

"Now, Padme, Barriss, watch the perfection of my prized creation …" Anakin beamed as he gripped the switch for the Hyperdrive. He pushed it forward, but instead of the building hum and the star-lines, there was only jerking and the sound of grinding down metal.

"Watch what again?" Padme quipped.

Anakin's eyes widened as he looked over the panel, working the switch back and forth. "I … it … what?"

"That's what I tried to tell you, SIR! The Hyperdrive short-circuited during the previous jump," Threepio yelled irately. "It's impossible for the ship to go to Hyperspace! Why, why I ask, did my maker have to be a complete imbecile?"

"It's … It's not my fault …" Anakin muttered as he got up and began hitting switches.

"Great, now what are we going to do?" Padme asked as the ship shook from blaster fire.

"We shoot back while Anakin gets the ship flying again." Barriss said, unstrapping herself from her seat. "You want top blaster pod or bottom?"

"I like it on top," Padme stated, and Anakin glanced back with a smirk.

"I already knew that, so which pod?" Anakin asked. Both girls groaned and shoved him out of the cockpit and then made their way to the blaster pods.

Obiwan remained alone in the cockpit with the two droids, attempting to dodge fire, but was far less talented then Anakin. "Oh, I hate flying…" the Jedi Master muttered as the cockpit jerked again.

"Obiwan, do me a favor," Anakin's voice sounded on the com. "Send Threepio back. I need parts."

"S-Sir … that imbecile statement was just a glitch in my vocal programming, I didn't mean it … honestly, you are a fine creator, Master Anakin …" Threepio muttered as Artoo made a sound distinctly like a laugh.

"Don't worry, Threepio, I'm sure Anakin will put you back together when we reach Bespin." Obiwan nodded as Threepio reluctantly and started toward the hatch.

"Oh, dear me …" was the last Obiwan and Artoo heard as the hatch closed behind him.

Up in the gun pods, Barriss and Padme were fighting to keep the fighters off the ship. "Any time today, Skywalker!" Padme yelled into the com-link.

"Almost got it …" Anakin's voice sounded through the calm. "Threepio, give me your other arm gyro!"

"Poor Threepio …" Barriss chuckled as she took out another fighter.

"Got it!" Anakin said, popping up from the engineering duct, and yelled up the hallway. "Hit it, Master!" As the words left his mouth, the Hyperdrive came online, throwing the ship forward and sending what's left of Threepio's body onto Anakin. Anakin yelped from the impact as he and the complaining head and half a torso fell down in the duct.

* * *

Barriss and Padme walked back into the cockpit to find the kicked back Obiwan with his feet on the side of the console and his arms folded behind his back. 

"Where's Anakin?" Barriss asked as they took their seats.

"I don't know; he called Artoo to the back for something. Haven't heard anything else." Obiwan said, "We should reach Bespin in less than an hour."

"Thank goodness, maybe then I can get repaired properly …" Threepio complained as the door opened. The three present had to restrain their laughter at the site of Threepio's upper chest and head strapped onto the dome of the Astromech droid. "I do not know what you're snickering at … This is a gruesome, disgusting situation, not comical! I do not care if he is my maker; he is a very, very irritating man!"

"Thanks for the compliment, Threepio." Anakin rolled his eyes as he walked in behind them, still favoring his shoulder.

Anakin groaned and rubbed his injury as he sat down in the pilot's chair. "You need to have that looked at when we get to Bespin."

"I'll be fine, Padme," Anakin stated, not looking back at her. "You didn't nag this much when we were married."

The cockpit fell into an uncomfortable silence. "How's Luke doing?" Padme asked in a small voice.

"Great, he's all boy, and growing like a weed." Anakin answered shortly, still not looking back.

"So Barriss, let me show you the new game table I installed recently," Obiwan said standing up, "Threepio can tell you more about the I can." He said ushering compliant young Jedi and the irate combination droids out of the cockpit.

"Is there any reason you've been avoiding OUR son?" Anakin asked, feeling the anxiety flowing from his ex-wife through the Force.

"I haven't been avoiding him, Anakin," Padme stated with a trembling sigh. "I've just … been busy with gathering the Alliance."

"You haven't been too busy to coddle Leia." Anakin stated, a strange sense of satisfaction flooded him at her flinch.

"I've decided to ask Owen and Beru to be Luke's godparents." Anakin continued before she could reply. "Have you decided on Leia's?"

"Godparents?" Padme squeaked slightly, surprised at the change of subject.

"Yeah, I want him to have a good family when I fall and if something happens to you." Anakin stated again, fingering the controls of the console.

"What do you mean when you fall …" Padme asked, growing slightly pale.

"I'm not as naive as the boy you and Master Qui Gon found on Tatooine, Padme," Anakin sighed, finally turning his chair to face her. "Palpatine hates the Jedi … and he's especially going to be after me. I was his apprentice. I betrayed him and his teachings, no matter how twisted they were … I hurt his ego, and he's going to want me dead. And in case you didn't notice, our forces aren't exactly extravagant."

"You can beat him though …" Padme said in a small voice, glancing up in surprise when Anakin laughed strangely.

Anakin held up his gloved fist. "Dooku took this one, and I didn't learn enough then," Anakin said, flexing his other hand, "Obiwan finished my lessons in humility."

"Obiwan … what did … did he hurt you on Mustafar?" Padme was staring wide eyed at this point.

Anakin gave a humorless chuckle before blinking at her expression. "You really don't know, do you? Obiwan never told you what happened after … it happened?" he said referring to him knocking her down and unconscious.

"He never said much of what happened, no one did," Padme furrowed her brow in thought. "All he said was that he did the hardest thing he ever had to do … Anakin, what did he do?"

"He told me not to do something, and I didn't listen one final time," Anakin said, leaning back.

"Annie …" Padme pressed.

"Anakin, my name is Anakin," He said in a sharp tone, seeing that the stab hit her as hard as it hit him. "He had the high ground; I was on a piece of debris in the lava river. He told me not to jump, that he had the high ground … I should have known better, but I was so sure of myself … I had bought into Palpatine's belief that the Dark Side could give one god-like power… He told me not to jump … and I jumped." Anakin's fist trembled slightly as he remembered the events. "Obiwan's lightsaber severed my good arm and both my legs. I fell and slid down the bank so close to the magma that the heat caught my robes on fire… had Obiwan not pulled me from it and put out the flames … I don't like to think about what could have been …"

Of all the reactions Anakin expected, Anakin never expected the one he got. "It's all my fault …"

"What?" Anakin blinked, completely caught off guard.

"I led Obiwan there, remember?" Padme said, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "And before that … I made you keep everything hidden … the life of a Jedi is hard enough, and I just complicated it further … The divorce was probably the best thing that ever happened to you, Anakin." She said, shooting up from her chair and leaving the cockpit before Anakin could say anything.

Anakin swung his chair back around to face forward while rubbing his face. "That could have gone better …" he muttered to himself.

* * *

"How's the head count, Mon Mothma?" Obiwan asked over the com as the ship flew toward the cloudy world of Bespin. 

"We only lost a few in the escape, General Kenobi, General Skywalker," Mon Mothma replied over their secure channel. "Our forces stand at five hundred forty seven ground troopers and twenty five officials, excluding you four."

"Thank you, Mon, we'll be arriving within the hour, Skywalker and Kenobi out." Obiwan said, shutting off the com. "Barriss, go check on Padme, will you?" he asked the Knight, who nodded and exited the cockpit. "This doesn't look good Anakin. We need to even the odds."

"It's been only a couple months since it all went down," Anakin mused, rubbing his chin.

"Yes … why?" Obiwan asked, cocking a worried eyebrow.

"Surely he hasn't had time to find an apprentice … since I did so well keeping his teachings," Anakin narrowed his eyes. "I could maybe keep the final lesson of a Sith."

"And that is?" Obiwan asked uncomfortably.

"The Apprentice will always kill the Master."

**To Be Continued … **

**Next Chapter: Anakin faces the Emperor and what he could have been ... **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Confrontation part 2**

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" the usually calm and emotionally controlled Barriss Offee squawked as she and the other Jedi followed behind the power walking Anakin Skywalker.

"I think so, it was around the time I listened to Palpatine," Anakin said, checking his saber on his belt. "So it's only right I get some payback for it."

"Anakin, listen to reason!" Obiwan shook his head, "This is pure suicide … I mean it this time!"

"Twisted your perception and mind once, Sidious did, Jedi Skywalker," Yoda pressed, surprisingly able to keep up with the others on his short legs. "Strong with the Dark Side, Palpatine is. Very powerful is he. Only when mastered are your emotions, and the force at command defeat him can you! Ready you are not yet!"

"I don't have to be ready, I just have to be lucky," Anakin replied turning toward the fighter bay of the carrier.

"Anakin, what about Luke and Leia?" Obiwan pressed trying his trump card.

"A Jedi was never meant to be a father, Padme will be a better parent anyway," Anakin said after a short pause.

"Anakin, you're the Chosen One," Barriss grabbed his arm. "If you go, you'll die! What will we do then?"

"Took me a while to figure this out, but I'm not the Chosen One," Anakin said as he came to a stop before the hatch to the fighter bay. "I'm just his dad."

"Anakin …" Obiwan sighed, as his former Padawan punched in the access code to ready his fighter.

"This is something I have to do. I have to face him again, or I'll never be able to live with what I've done… " Anakin said as he turned to face them. "Tell Luke and Leia what you want when they're old enough … tell them the truth or … tell them I was a spice freighter pilot. I'd rather be remembered a good man flying a spice freighter then a traitor."

"You weren't a traitor Anakin you were-"Obiwan tried to defend him, but Anakin held up a hand.

"Tell that to the people who stare at me like I'm going to bite their head off at any moment, and clear out of my way no matter where I go, tell that to Padme …" Anakin replied, "They think I'm some kind of monster, well … I'm going to let that monster go on Palpatine."

"Then may the Force be with you," Yoda spoke up shocking everyone present.

"What?" Obiwan asked in disbelief.

"A great wrong to the Order you have done, and every code at the time broken, have you." Yoda clarified with a firm nod. "Bloody are your hands, young Skywalker, but think you are without saving, you should not. Go, and face your darkened past, Jedi Skywalker, and a Master you will return."

"But … I thought I was already a ranking Master …" Anakin blinked in confusion.

"Simply a title, Jedi Master is. Faced my own devils I never have. Long gone my chance to do so is. " Yoda chuckled, "facing your past without fear or regret, master of the Force and yourself you will be. Greater then any Jedi Master you will be. If not in power or wisdom, but in mind and soul."

"Thank you Master," Anakin bowed humbly to the aged Jedi.

"May the Force be with you, Jedi Skywalker," Yoda nodded back as the young Jedi made his way to his fighter. "Need it you will … need it you will …"

"So you expect us to just let him go on a suicide mission?" Aayla asked in disbelief.

"Recall saying that … I do not," Yoda replied with a mock-innocent smile.

-----

On Coruscant Palpatine smiled as he sat on his throne feeling the approaching Force Signature. "Darth Neco," the Emperor summoned sitting slightly straighter.

"You summoned me, my Master?" the armored Sith Lord bowed on one knee.

"My former Apprentice is on his way here, and some of the surviving Jedi follows behind." Palpatine spoke, lacing his fingers together in his lap.

"I have felt their approach, my Master," Neco replied, standing up. "Do you wish their ships destroyed?"

"No, Skywalker is mine," Palpatine growled, "Ours … we shall destroy him together."

"And the Jedi?" Neco asked.

"Have the Elites handle them," Palpatine waved, "They failed to destroyed them the first time, let them make up for their mistake or die trying."

"As you wish, my Master …" Neco bowed again, before leaving the room.

Palpatine smiled as he rotated the throne to view the large window. "I look forward to our reunion, my young friend … it will be our last."

----

"That was easy …" Anakin whispered to himself as he slid along the shadows of the Imperial Palace. "Too easy …" He ducked down and narrowed his eyes as a pair of Storm Troopers passed by. "He's probably expecting me … which means he's confident … hopefully over confident … if Obiwan was here he'd say he has a bad feeling about this … Skywalker, do you realize you're talking to yourself? Yeah. Just checking."

Anakin snuck into the Senate Hall turned Palace and made his way to Palpatine's old office. He ducked and dodged all troopers and guards with a minimal use of the Force. He blinked in surprised when he saw a young human female seated at a desk before the doorway to Palpatine's old office. "What the sun, worth a shot …" he whispered before adjusting his robes and stepping out of the shadows and walked toward the blonde.

"Hello!" the girl chirped with a smile, her bright smile seemed out of place with her dark Imperial uniform. "May I help you, sir?"

"Yes, is this C-Emperor Palpatine's office?" Anakin asked standing with square shoulders and flashing his most dashing smile.

"Indeed it is. Are you here to see his Excellency?" the girl smiled dimwittedly.

"I would like to if I could," Anakin winked.

"Do you have an appointment?" the girl asked with the same mentally void smile.

"I'm afraid I do not," Anakin shrugged with a mock-disappointed smile. "I'm Anakin Skywalker an old friend of his, and was hoping I could catch up."

"I'm sorry, if you don't have an appointment, I can't let you in," the girl cocked her head to the side and smiled. "I can set you up for an appointment for next Tuesday if you like?"

"I'm afraid I won't be on world at that time, I really do need to see him today," Anakin said waving his hand before the girls face.

"I do hate to hear that, but I can't let you in unless you have an appointment," the girl continued to smile annoyingly.

"But I must insist, after all I am an old friend, so you'll let me in right?" Anakin said waving his hand again, a little more forcefully.

"I can't let you in unless you have an appointment," the girl said sounding like a broken record.

"Are you a droid?" Anakin asked with a confused look.

"No, I'm all human, though my mother said I had the IQ of an air speeder," She giggled, smiling gleefully.

"Wonder why … heard of being too smart for the mind trick, but this one seems too stupid …" Anakin whispered to himself as he shook his head, "So who does have an appointment today?" he asked leaning against the desk.

"Senator Kinoto has one in thirty minutes, Mr. Skywalker, why do you ask?" the girl smiled that same goofball grin.

"No reason… I must be going." He said turning and walking part of the way down the hall before turning and coming back.

"Hello!" The girl grinned dimly again. "May I help you sir?"

"Yes, I am Senator Kinoto," Anakin said with his arms behind his back, "I know I'm early but I believe my meeting with the Emperor is quite important."

"Of course, Senator," the girl smiled stupidly, as she pressed a button unlocking the door. "Go right ahead!"

"I can't believe that actually worked …" Anakin grinned to himself as he walked into the hall way leading to the Emperor's chambers.

The momentary enjoyment at the lackluster minded girl melted away when he felt the familiar dark presence of his former Sith Master before him. Anakin pulled his Lightsaber from his belt and carefully walked from the hallway into the large oval office that had since been refurbished into a dark foreboding throne room.

"Lord Vader, I have been expecting your return to me for some time," Palpatine said rotating his throne to face the young Jedi.

"That name has no meaning to me anymore, Darth Sidious," Anakin said glaring into the Sith Lord's yellow eyes. "You tricked me into betraying the Jedi once that won't happen again."

"Trick you, dear boy? I did nothing the Jedi didn't do themselves," Palpatine chuckled, "Or have you forgotten about how they wanted you to spy on me, then planned my assassination. They were just waiting for an excuse, and what would have happened if Master Windu had killed me? Do you honestly believe the Jedi would have let the Senate stay in power?"

"You made sure we never would have found out didn't you?" Anakin replied, lighting his saber, "The Jedi made mistakes. I will not disagree with what they did was wrong, but they never killed innocent children just because they had the chance of rebelling against them."

"Too true, young Skywalker," Palpatine grinned, "Though I didn't … YOU did."

"And I'm going to try to make amends for that," Anakin said raising his saber. "Today if possible."

"You had the potential to be a great Sith, young Skywalker," Palpatine said, standing to his feet and brandishing his own lightsaber. "If you are so anxious to die then … so be it."

----

"What an interesting smell you've discovered …" Aayla complained as she followed Obiwan, Bail, Padme and Barriss through the sewers below the Senate Hall.

"You should have smelled what Anakin discovered in the Outer Rim territories," Obiwan grinned as he waited through the smelly fluid. "This is nothing."

"How could you have just let him come by himself," Padme growled toward the Jedi. "You know how easily Palpatine manipulates him, and you let him walk right into his hands."

"We don't force him to do things against his will," Barriss replied with a firm glare.

"I never made him do anything if that's what you're assuming," Padme replied heatedly.

"If the boot fits," Barriss crossed her arms.

"The Jedi controlled him more then I did," Padme jabbed her finger in Barriss' chest. "If you people weren't so overbearing with your code we wouldn't have had to hide our marriage, destroying our relationship in the process."

"Now ladies, lets all calm," Bail replied stepping between them. "We've all made mistakes in the past let's get past them …"

"Padme's the one with the temper," Barriss shrugged, before turning an icy glare to Anakin's ex-wife. "Besides you left him, I didn't think you'd care if he got himself killed or not."

Padme took a step back at that one as she tried to come up with a reply. "Let's keep moving, while Anakin is hopefully keeping the Imperials distracted." Obiwan said quickly trying to defuse the situation.

"Ok," the girls replied and followed Aayla, Obiwan and Bail. "Bitch," Padme whispered under her breath before yelping and falling face first and over her head in the muck.

"Better watch your step, Senator …" Barriss smirked as Padme quickly got back to her feet heaving her breath and covered in sewage.

"Are you sure we made it undetected, Obiwan?" Aayla asked as they climbed a ladder to the surface.

"Absolutely, Anakin designed the stealth system, there's no way they could detect us landing," Obiwan said as he used the force to open the covering. The five climbed into the darkness and as soon as they were all on their feet bright light shined on them and a large group of Clone Troopers surrounded them. "I did remember to turn it on didn't I?"

----

"What's the matter, Young Skywalker?" Palpatine's raspy voice asked near gleefully as the Jedi Knight pulled himself back to his feet, gripping his saber tightly in his hand. "I'm afraid you possibly have bitten off more then you can chew… Did you honestly believe the Jedi's Chosen One fairy tale?"

"I'm not the chosen one …" Anakin whispered turning off his lightsaber.

"Oh really? Are you finally learning your place in the universe, my apprentice?" Palpatine smiled at the young Jedi who he had been throwing around his quarters for the last while.

"Yes, it's simple really. I'm a Jedi Knight. You're a Sith. It's my job to make you extinct." Anakin said swinging his saber at Palpatine's head. "And since I was your last apprentice, you go down and it's over."

"You give yourself too much credit, Young Jedi. Darth Neco?" Palpatine took a step back and laughed loudly as the sound of his apprentice's breather filled the room. "I hope you don't mind I allowed him to wear the armor I prepared for you, Lord Vader."

"Not good…" Anakin breathed as he took a step back from the mechanical monster.

"I've been looking forward to this for sometime, Skywalker …" Neco whispered as his body opened and expanded into a thin, multi-armed battled machine.

"Definitely not good …" Anakin said as Neco stretched his six arms, two of which holding light sabers, two with claws and two with blasters.

**To Be Continued**


End file.
